Fin smiled. “I’m sure you can. It’s a charming little bistro with excellent food.”
“Then you’ll join us?”
She should decline the invitation outright. She and Travis had absolutely nothing in common beyond their love for Jessie. But for reasons beyond her comprehension, Fin was drawn to Travis and had been since the moment they met.
“I don’t want to intrude on your time with your daughter,” she hedged.
He shook his head. “She’s your daughter, too. Besides, I wouldn’t have asked if I hadn’t wanted you to join us. And I’m sure you want to spend as much time with her as you can now that you two have found each other.”
Her heart filled with emotion when he referred to Jessie as her daughter, too.
“You’re sure you don’t mind?”
When he took her hand in his much larger one, a tingling thrill streaked up Fin’s arm at the feel of his work-callused palm against her much softer skin.
“I’m positive.” The warmth in his incredibly blue eyes assured her that he did indeed want her to have dinner with them. “What man wouldn’t want to be out with the two best-looking women in this whole damned town?”
The truth was, spending the evening with Travis and Jessie was far more appealing than sitting alone in her too-big apartment eating take out and going over spread sheets filled with Charisma’s growth projections and profit margins.
Surely one more night of putting off the task wasn’t going to hurt her chances of winning the competition for EPH.
“Wh-what time should I meet you at the bistro?” Why did she suddenly feel like a teenage girl being asked to the homecoming dance by the best-looking, most popular boy in school?
“Eight.” Still holding her hand, he rose to his feet, then pulled her up to stand beside him. “I guess I’d better let you get back to work if you’re going to win your dad’s contest.”
“I suppose that would be a good idea.” Why didn’t she sound as resolute about it as she would have before he appeared at her door?
He leaned forward to press a soft kiss to her forehead. “Then I’ll see you this evening, Fin.”
Her skin tingled where his lips had been and before she could find her voice, Travis touched the wide brim of his cowboy hat in a gallant gesture and turned to walk away.
As she watched him disappear into the outer office, she felt the need to fan herself. Dear God, the man was six feet four inches of pure sex appeal and could heat up a room faster than a blast furnace. His kiss had only been meant as a friendly gesture, but her heart had skipped several beats at the touch of his lips to her suddenly overly sensitive skin.
“Was that the model for Calvin Klein’s new cowboy cologne?” Chloe Davenport asked, entering Fin’s office. She glanced over her shoulder at Travis. “If so, could I sign up to be his cowgirl?”
Fin laughed at her executive assistant. “No. That’s Travis Clayton, Jessie’s father.”
“You’re kidding.” Fin watched the young woman take another lingering glance before closing the office door. “He’s the real deal, isn’t he?”
“If by that you mean that he’s a working cowboy, then yes, he’s the real thing.”
Chloe sighed wistfully. “If they grow them like that in Colorado, I just might have to head that way sometime.”
Fin laughed. “And leave that cute little apartment you have in Chelsea?”
“Ooh, that would be a problem. I finally have it decorated just the way I want it,” Chloe said, handing Fin the latest accounting reports. “I suppose I’ll just have to stay in New York and content myself with finding an urban cowboy.”
Fin nodded, distracted by the report. “What’s the latest word around EPH? Anything going on with the other magazines that I should know about?”
The young woman shook her head. “Not that I’ve heard. You and Shane are still the top contenders for CEO. The Buzz’s growth and profit margin is slightly better than Charisma’s, but the consensus in accounting is that Charisma could still come out the winner.”
“G-good.” Suddenly feeling a bit dizzy, Fin walked around her desk to sit in her high-backed chair. She definitely needed to see a doctor.
“Fin, are you okay?” Chloe asked, her pretty young face marred with concern.
Nodding, Fin gave her a weak smile. “I’m just tired, that’s all.”
“I’m worried about you, Fin. You’ve been working way too hard.” Chloe frowned.
“You’ve always been driven, but these past ten months you’ve made workaholics look like total slackers.”